Thousands of drivers are being put at risk after breaking down on “smart” sections of motorway without a hard shoulder, the AA has claimed.

As many as 16,000 motorists may be put in danger each month because of a lack of emergency lay-bys on revamped highways where the hard shoulder is turned into an additional lane, it said.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said many refuge areas were likely to be built around one-and-a-half miles apart, giving motorists little chance to escape traffic in a breakdown.

The comments come as figures from Highways England showed that almost 3,700 drivers had to be rescued in only ten months on a 17-mile stretch of motorway that is being converted into all-lane running.

Half of the breakdowns on the section of the M60 and M62, near Manchester, were mechanical or electrical faults, a fifth were punctures, a tenth were accidents and 7.5 per cent of drivers had run out of fuel.

The AA said the figures underlined the dangers of smart motorways, which form a key part of the government’s strategy to keep traffic flowing. Almost 200 miles are currently designated as “smart”, with differential speed limits depending on the conditions, CCTV coverage and lanes closed by a red “X” following an accident or breakdown.

Early smart motorways used the hard shoulder only at peak times but new schemes have no breakdown lane at all. These include two sections of the M25. Over the next decade, another 600 miles will be converted to allow all-lane running, a significant proportion of the 1,900-mile network in England.

Mr King said at least 20 motorists may be breaking down on each mile of the motorway network every month. It means around 16,000 a month may be exposed on smart sections when the programme is complete. On the very busiest stretches, such as the M25, the monthly breakdown rate may be nearer 40 per mile.

He said the changes would potentially put drivers at risk and waste police resources. He pointed out that the 17-mile stretch had only three emergency refuges planned in addition to the 11 exits. “It is not always possible for a driver to safely coast off on to a slip road when their engine has failed or tyres have blown out,” he said.

On the M60 and M62, a free recovery service has been provided along the route while work takes place on the £208 million scheme.

A Highways England spokesman denied that smart motorways put road users at risk. “Our research tells us that were a driver to be unfortunate enough to experience a problem . . . they would be able to make it to an area of refuge or off the motorway,” he said.

“Many of the breakdowns we encounter are avoidable and we would urge drivers to make sure their vehicle is properly maintained and that they have enough fuel for their journey.”